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I hunt thrift shops for bargains for furniture and turn my projects into unique one-of-a-kind hand painted decor pieces. Furniture can be repaired and restored, or it can be given a whole new look with paint! I share my projects with you to enjoy, and also provide tutorials, including professional tips and tricks, so you can DIY your own projects.

Shabby Sweet China Cabinet

First let's start with the facts: I said I wouldn't paint it. Unless it didn't sell. It didn't sell. So I painted it!

Here it is looking clean and shiny after the first attempt at refinishing.It didn't last.

Let me back up and fill you in. I fell in love with this china cabinet as soon as I spotted it in the thrift store. I believe it is Depression Era (perhaps either 1920's or 1930's). The finish was damaged and there was surface damage, but it was sturdy with no major structural issues.. My intention was to paint it (Plan A), but then after I started working on it, the beauty of the wood veneer whispered to me to try to restore it (Plan B). And I did just that and was pleased with the result even though it still had signs of wear and tear. (See initial blog post "Refurbished Vintage 1920s China Cabinet")

Before

I had good intentions to take it to the booth for sale, but one thing led to another, and it never quite made it to the booth (which probably explains why it didn't sell). But in the end I am glad I didn't sell it, because after about 30 days or so, the veneer started to dry out. I reconditioned it and all was good again, but once again it dried out. Repeat. And repeat again. Suffice it to say I decided it was beyond saving.

Uh oh, the veneer dried out.

Puppy teeth marks?

More evidence of chewing!

After

So I went back to Plan A and decided to paint it. I chose a color scheme of Duck Egg Blue on the exterior with Old White for the interior and exterior details. Rather than making extensive repairs, I decided to work with the wear and tear, some of which is apparently from a puppy as evidenced by the teeth marks. So I applied medium-to-heavy distressing throughout the entire cabinet to give it a shabby chic appearance. Now it has a fresh finish that looks like it has worn gracefully through the years. I'll leave you with photos of the "after" and wish you a productive and joyful week.

I painted the top, so now it is smooth and easy to dust.

I painted areas in white to highlight the details.

I love the sweet little details on the front.

Evidence of teeth marks on the left. I think they look charming now.

Details of highlights on the bottom.

The teeth marks on the cross bar are still there but not as apparent.

Heavier distressing was applied to the front of the cabinet.

The white really pops against the blue.

The hardware was painted white to add to the color balance.

Sweet!

The glass door includes a wood filigree insert. It was also paint in Duck Egg Blue.

The interior has 3 shelves.

Additional distressing was applied to the shelves.The nesting boxes in the photos were a small project I worked on. They are painted in Antoinette Pink and Paris Grey.

Welcome

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